Outlook woes

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Aaarrgh! Microsoft Outlook is driving me nuts!

I've been a long time user of a Palm PDA and their Palm Desktop software (although I did sync with Outlook when I was in an office setting). I have a system set up. Everything works the way I like. We've been cruising a long like a well oiled machine.

DH made a remark the other day about Palm's projected earnings. $190 to $195 million, instead of the expected $331 million (http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10110622-94.html). He then suggested that I should start looking into using Microsoft Outlook for keeping track of my calendar, contacts and notes.

I must admit that I haven't actually carried my Palm PDA around in my purse in quite some time. Too much other crap in my purse. I mainly use the Palm Desktop software on my computer to help me stay organized. So the switch to MS Outlook shouldn't be too painful. Or so I thought.

I've only played with it for a few minutes and have already found some annoyances. Hmmm... I think I used to own a very old O'Reilly book called Outlook Annoyances. I bet there is a newer version that covers the latest Outlook flavor.

Annoyances with Notes in Outlook:
1. There doesn't seem to be any way to mark specific notes as "private" (or to password protect them).
2. The yellow sticky note window can be resized, but there is no scroll bar! You can't see anything that is below the visible area of the window. You have to use the keyboard to manouevre around. I would like a scroll bar so I can use the wheel on my mouse to scroll up/down.

Annoyances with Calendar in Outlook:

1. When launching Outlook and going to the Calendar (week view), the application should default to "Today's" date so that when I click on New Appointment, the appt defaults to Today's date instead of whatever day is first on the far left in my week view. Geez, seems logical to me...

My next challenge was trying to find a way to import all my data from Palm Desktop to Microsoft Outlook. I swear, I get more stupid as I get older. It was just a simple task of setting out Outlook conduits and syncing the PDA with Outlook. Definitely a Duh! moment.

I lost the color coding of my Palm categories, but thankfully the categories themselves transferred over. I just have to manually go set the Outlook label color. Going forward. There is no way I'm gonna go update all the past entries!

And while we're on the topic of organizers, I was thinking about the leather binder for the paper(!) organizer I used to use over a decade ago. It was one of those Franklin Covey or Daytimer things. Are they still in business? No, I'm not about to go back to the Dark Ages. However I was wondering whether I could use that with some zipper insert pages to keep my new KP Options needles organized (See yesterday's post, 4 Dec 2008). If I were still living at the Old House, I'd have a general idea of where to look for the binder. Unfortunately I can't recall whether I kept the binder when we moved to our New House. I might have thrown it out. If I still have it, I have absolutely no idea which box it would have ended up in. If I decide to go this route for storing my needles, it would be much easier to purchase a new binder.

Thank you very much for all the comments in my previous post, I appreciate your helpful suggestions. I haven't yet decided what I will try. The only thing I have done since yesterday is placing the needle tips into the pockets of the pouch. I haven't used them yet. I'd like to contrive some new project to cast on -- which would be very easy to come up with! -- but have shown restraint because I really need to finish what I already have on my needles. I do not need to get sidetracked.

Here's what I have on the needles:

Fingerless Mitts, using three 4.5 mm (US7) circular needles.
Fingerless Mitts, using four 2.75 mm (US2) circular needles.
Scarf, using one 4.0 mm (?) (US6) circular needle.

What I need to finish before Christmas:

The two fingerless mitts mentioned above.
Cast on for 3 more pairs of fingerless mitts.

And looking at the calendar this morning I find there is really only 2 weeks left to accomplish all this. Those 3 more mitts must be completed before Monday 22 Dec 2008.

Anybody know how to pause time?

Copyright © Smariek Knits 2005-2008. All full copyright rights are reserved by Smariek Knits.

Faster than 299,792,458 meters/seconds

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Well almost. It sure was quick though!

Do you remember when I mentioned placing my very first Knit Picks order? (See 27 Nov 2008 post) I was extremely disappointed to find the one item I was looking forward to playing with ASAP turned out to be on back order.... until Dec 23rd! That would be the Nickel Plated DPN set. The website did not mention anything about a back order when I placed the order last week. Everything else appears to have been shipped.

On the flip side, I was pleasantly surprised to find a box from them today. I was expecting them to take much longer with the order. It wasn't the entire order (minus the DPN set). I guess they are shipping the rest of the items separately.

This is what I received in the box today. It is the Knit Picks Options nickel plated interchangeable circular needle set.

This is what I found when I opened up the plastic bag. The bag on the left is the storage bag. The small square one at the top is for the cables.

These are the needle tips. All bound with some loose elastic to a piece of cardboard. I'm not sure if you can see the size markings on the cardboard. It would seem to me that the best place to keep the needles would be on this cardboard so that you know what size needle tip you have. Unfortunately the cardboard does not fit into the organizer bag. Hmmm. I guess I will just have to remove all the needle tips and place each size in its own pocket in the organizer bag.

I did order a needle gauge, it hasn't arrived yet. I guess the needle gauge will live in the organizer bag so I can verify needle size.

Turn that package over and you'll find the cables and some mysterious objects which I have yet to figure out. However I can already tell that there is high likelihood for losing small parts. Need to figure something out to minimize that potential.

I guess I need to find out what other owners of the KP Options set do to keep everything organized...


Shirley's Mom recently passed away after a battle with cancer, and her younger sister is crazy, nutter, brave to do a solo skydive in February 2009 to raise funds for the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. To help raise funds for her target goal of £1000, Shirley has organized a prize draw. There are some yarny/knitty prizes. Check out her blog post for more details.

Copyright © Smariek Knits 2005-2008. All full copyright rights are reserved by Smariek Knits.

Throw out 50 Things (part 1)

This is Part 1.
Click here for Part 2.
Click here for Part 3.
Click here for Part 4.



In an effort to declutter my home, I am joining Monica in her pledge to throw out 50 things before 1 January 2009. I had gotten rid of some stuff before, during, and shortly after moving to my new home last year. There is still A LOT of stuff I need to sort through. After over a year in the new house, our living room is still a very large expensive storage area full of things we probably don't need anymore. Boxes everywhere!

I'm following Monica's example of reporting, which should also help me keep count. :-)

First we're starting with the stack of books sitting by the dining room window. They've been sitting in the "to toss" pile for over a year now. I think it's time they actually left the house.


1 & 2. Two copies of Computer Graphics by F.S. Hill Jr. I was originally going to show you the photo of just one book, then thought you guys wouldn't believe that I actually had TWO copies of it. This was our textbook for a Computer Graphics class and I am pretty sure one copy was mine and the other copy was DH's. Neither of us actually read the book while we were taking the class.


3. Computer Algorithms: Introduction to Design and Analysis by Sara Baase. Another computer class textbook. I never read this book. It's interesting to note that some things do not change, there is a newer version of the book and I had to laugh when looking at the overall rating on Amazon.

I think I took Algorithms twice in college (did I flunk it the first time?) and we had a much better book the second time around. We used this Introduction to Algorithms book, which I actually did use and find useful. I thought I kept this book, unfortunately I don't see it on my bookshelf. It's definitely one I wouldn't mind keeping, just because. It's not like I actually need the book or would open it. Just because, like my old Compilers book which is better known as the "Dragon" book. This is my old copy. I see there is a newer 2nd edition available now. Strange, I don't see my Dragon book on the shelf either. Did DH go on a rampage and throw out old textbooks?


4. Intermediate Problem Solving and Data Structures: Walls and Mirrors by Paul Helman and Robert Veroff. Another textbook. I have absolutely no recollecion of ever using this book. By now you are probably thinking I was not a very good student...


5. Programming in C by Stephen G. Kochan. Ah, fond memories of learning the C programming language. Mine is a revised edition. The current flavor is a 3rd edition. Ah well, it's time to let this book go.

I still have K&R on the shelf. You know, The C Programming Language by Kernighan and Ritchie? Surely you must know this book! We actually have TWO copies of K&R on the shelf, and yes, I can see them on the shelf. I'm not too worried, I know this is not a book DH would throw out. Yes, we agree on some things, sometimes. :-)


6. Internetworking: A Guide to Network Communications LAN to LAN; LAN to WAN by Mark A Miller. Another outdated computer book.


7. Systematic Software Development using VDM by Cliff B. Jones. This is one big UGH. Never opened the book to use during the class. Useless book.


8. C++ by Bjarne Stroustrup. This is one of those classics so I'm not entirely sure why it is in the "toss" pile. I have an older copy, this is the latest version. What do you think? Is this book worth keeping?


9. Programming in Prolog by W.F. Clocksin and C.S. Mellish. Definitely going out the door. They have an updated version that appears to be highly rated. Still not keeping my copy.


10. Programming Pearls by Jon Bentley. It's not a bad book, although I don't think I need to keep it. They've got an updated version.


Woo hoo!!! That's 20% progress. :-D

I bet you're thinking all these books are boring and good riddance!

Copyright © Smariek Knits 2005-2008. All full copyright rights are reserved by Smariek Knits.
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Dreaming about the Feeding Frenzy

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What feeding frenzy? The one at Elann, of course! The Needful Yarns Filtes King Australian Merino that was offered this morning at 9AM.

One thing I hadn't mention in my recent posts is that I have been sick much of November. It all seemed to unfold in slow motion really, starting at the beginning of the month with persistent aches on my left side. Then whammo, a week before Thanksgiving I was hit with what was clearly a cold. Boo! I was starting to feel a little better on Thanksgiving -- well enough to cook dinner -- and thought I was on the road to recovery on Friday. Then Saturday rolled around and I woke up feeling worse. Sunday, not better. Monday, a little better. Tuesday, worse.



Anyhow, when I saw the Australian Merino in my snips, I decided it wasn't really for me. It had a sort of marled look that wasn't really my thing. I prefer solids. But if I had to choose colors I liked, they would have been Blackberry, Italian Plum, Night Sky, Flannel, Vesuvius, and maybe Bella Notte. But I had no plans to buy. There was no need to force myself out of bed before 9 AM on Tuesday. And as I discovered on Tuesday morning, it would not have happened anyhow because I was lying in bed, asleep, too sick to get up.

But I did dream about joining in the feeding frenzy that was bound to happen at 9AM. In my mild flu induced delirium, I dreamt of participating in the feeding frenzy from my iPod! Yes, trying to add yarn on that itty bitty screen. It was a slow and frustrating endeavor. But I somehow managed to add the colors I liked, got to checkout and watched as the balls jumped out of my shopping cart. In the end, I got nothing. Nada. Zilch.

So I slept through the 9AM feeding frenzy, and didn't roll out of bed until just before noon. Had some chicken noodle soup. Took my meds. Crawled back into bed.

Then I reached over for my little iPod to check something and take a quick peek. I was surprised to find that the Australian Merino yarn was not sold out! There were 6 colors left: Italian Plum, Bella Notte, Saffron Medley, Black Forest, Stratus Blue, and Matterhorn.



I wasn't interested in Matterhorn. I was indifferent to Black Forest. Saffron Medley is far from any color I would normally gravitate towards.

I'm not sure what happened. Somehow a "few" balls of Italian Plum, Bella Notte, and Stratus Blue found their way into my shopping cart, along with a "few" balls of Elann Baby Cashmere in Tapestry Blue and Claret. I'm thinking the Claret might be as close as I can get to matching the red Regina Scarf I made my MIL for Christmas. It's interesting how I can remember all 16 digits of my credit card. ;-) In a few minutes it was a done deal.

I don't know what came over me because within an hour I went back to pick up the Saffron Medley and Black Forest! Must have been a side effect of my flu induced delirium.... yeah, that's it!

Copyright © Smariek Knits 2005-2008. All full copyright rights are reserved by Smariek Knits.

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Oopsies R Us

Voice #1: It's not so bad. You can pick up stitches around the wrist and add 10 rounds.

Voice #2: The project is so small, you can just frog it and start over.

Voice #3: Il faut que tu arrêtes de fumer la moquette! How can you screw up something that is supposed to be "mindless"?!

"Il faut que tu arrêtes de fumer la moquette" literally translates to: you have to stop smoking the carpet. I don't know if I use this phrase correctly, however I like to use it in place of : you have to stop smoking crack.

I can't recall if I have ever learned the subjunctive verb tense/mood in French. I really don't think it was ever covered in any of my French classes! Of course this was aeons ago and my memory is not what it used to be. Anyhow, I have somehow picked up bits and pieces of the subjunctive over the years and am still trying to get a good grasp of how to use it.

The subjunctive mood is used when there is uncertainty, opinion, wish (or order or obligation), or feeling.

The indicative mood is used when there is certainty, judgment, promise (or resolution or decision), or observation (or declaration or statement).

One thing that has stuck in my mind is that the impersonal expression il faut que is followed by a subjunctive verb. So in the phrase "il faut que tu arrêtes...", the verb arrêter (to stop) is in the subjunctive. Unfortunately this is not evident since the 2nd person singular conjugation of arrêter is identical in both the (present) indicative and (present) subjunctive. One would have to contrive to use a verb where the conjugation is different in order to demonstrate that one understands when to use the subjunctive.

Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of the tunnel
Was just a freight train coming your way
- No Leaf Clover, Metallica

Warm Hands, Warm Thumbs Fingerless Mitts outline
Elann Highland Wool, Coffee Bean Brown
4.5 mm, US7 needles

So I thought I was done with the main part of this mitt and was getting ready to bind off. Sure it looks fine in the photo above.

But when you look at it side-by-side with the grey pair....

... you see where the problem lies! The wrist-to-thumb-gusset section is too short. I tried on the mitt and it is even too short for my small hands. This is supposed to be larger, for a guy's hand. What I should have done was knit 10 more rounds before starting the thumb gusset. I have no idea how this happened. I was probably engrossed in whatever we were watching on TV. The funny thing is that this is supposed to be a "mindless" knitting project!

I could do as Voice #1 suggests. It would be the quickest workaround and it would probably turn out OK. But I would know about the blunder and that would bother me even though the mitts would be gifted and then I would never have to see the blunder.

So I followed Voice #2's suggestion and ripped back. Now you'd think the problem would have been solved at this point, but...

I ripped back to the top of the thumb gusset (where the red yarn was holding the thumb stitches) and then used my needles to pick up stitches on that round. Then stupid me went on to knitting onwards from that point for several rounds before I realized that I should have ripped back to the bottom of the thumb gusset.

Let's just say I've spent so much time going backwards on this project that I am thoroughly disgusted with it!!! (And the fact that this 100% wool yarn "sticks" which makes ripping back a slow painful progress did not help)

Ack! Lookie at this boo boo! The mistake is inside the red circle. The purple circle shows what it should have looked like. It looks like a K2Tog gone bad. I didn't notice the error because my stitch count was correct and didn't pick up on any problems as I was knitting the following row.

Now if this were a simple cable error, then I might have just dropped some stitches down to fix the cable error. I have to wonder if the lace experts do something similar when fixing lace errors. I know I wouldn't be able to do it. So I'm off to tink back a few rows...

Copyright © Smariek Knits 2005-2008. All full copyright rights are reserved by Smariek Knits.



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